Any Shiny Thing - Life after 50
Midlife Fiction
This is the season for change, isn’t it? At the start of a new year, don’t you feel as if you have a clean slate, a brand new list, and fresh enthusiasm? It’s time for dreaming about big new accomplishments. [Read more…]
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My granddaughter, Ella, will turn eight in a couple days. Right around her birth, I had surgery because of fear of ovarian cancer. Luckily, I was fine, but the doctor told me it was good they operated, because my one ovary looked worrisome. OC runs in my family, and it doesn’t manifest unique symptoms. In a bygone era, I might not have been around to meet my granddaughter.
But I recovered, and life went on. Now, eight years later, she’s in the third grade. Her favorite activity is reading. She consumes books like a wood chipper devours tree trimmings. Here she is reading a Nancy Drew, with Grandpa who is reading one of my latest.
It blows me away that she can be this old, that so much time has passed in a blink.
Older people say, “Where does the time go?!” and that it seems to speed up as you get older. Of course, it doesn’t really. It’s just a matter of perspective. The busier you are, the faster it slips away. Maybe we’re all too busy for our own good. I say this, aware that I have made a commitment to publish five more books by the end of 2019.
My sister is getting ready to retire. She’s a little worried about what she’ll do all day and is concerned about being bored or feeling purposeless. As I get older, though, I think free time might be the greatest luxury of aging. La dolce far niente. The sweetness of doing nothing.
Every day, I work. I write, market, learn, plan, schedule, and advertise. I run my little business, and I love doing so.
Today, I have a cold (thanks, grandkids) which has sapped my energy. Largely because I have no choice, I decided this morning that today I would do nothing. I read a hot and trashy romance, checked my social media and email, watered houseplants, and dusted a few shelves. That’s all I have energy for, but I enjoyed it. Occasionally, a slower pace is pretty sweet.
It’s not my preference, though. I’m a racehorse. I like to run.
I started writing in earnest when I was in my late forties. It took me ten years to write Dakota Blues, because I had so much to learn. I was careful. I wanted my first book to be oh, so good. I guess I did okay, because it won an award and has lots of great reviews on Amazon.
When Ella was born, I hadn’t published anything. Now I have five books out.
The years go so fast. If you are dreaming of something, I hope you’ll get cracking. You can’t possibly know what might happen. Reach for the brass ring. Dare to dream.
For the next few days, Dakota Blues is on sale for $.99! Click here to get your copy.
Have you claimed your free audiobook download yet? I still have a few left of Key Largo Blues and Goodbye to the Blues. Click Lynne@AnyShinyThing.com to email me and tell me your choice!
Have you see it? I just released California Blues, the novella-length prequel to the Karen Grace / Blues series. It’s already receiving 5-star reviews, which is so exciting! Every time I publish a book, I cross my fingers hoping for good reviews. I guess I’m making you happy because they’re coming in. If you’re one of the angels who left a nice review for any of my books, thank you so much! Reviews make sales.
I write first for the love of it, sure. Mom says I wrote stories from the time I was old enough to hold a pencil, so it’s a passion that goes way back.
But when I receive reviews or royalties for my books? OMG. Icing on the freakin’ cake.
Because imagine this: I invent characters, give them hopes and dreams and passions of their own, put them in challenging situations, and encourage them to grow. Then they do, because I like happy endings. So that’s all well and good.
But to know you’re loving it just as much as I am? Priceless. Thanks for coming along on this dream journey with me. I hope you realize your dreams, too.
A year ago, I was invited to participate in a discussion about menopause. My friend, a life coach, asked me to share my experiences with a half-dozen of her clients, all in various stages of menopause. What happened next shocked me.
Aging is complicated. I often speak about positive aging, about the good stuff that comes with age if we’re not too fearful to appreciate it. But the fact is, a lot of the good happens in your brain. The two hemispheres begin to communicate better. You can solve complex problems in a snap using pattern recognition. You’re not as affected by drama. You’re more calm, maybe even happier. Strange how the aging brain seems to get stronger.
Since retiring* I have occasionally reconnected with old colleagues. After not seeing them for years, we’d eagerly make a date for lunch. Then after the grand reunion, guess what? Crickets. [Read more…]
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